7 pioneering black artists who shaped modern music

The roots of popular American music often trace back to African-American performers.

Over several decades, many artists have put their stamp on the pages of history. Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry — these are just a few artists who helped shape and pioneer modern genres as we know it, from jazz to rock to hip-hop.

However, there are numerous black artists who broke ground, but have slipped out of modern mainstream memory. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a gospel singer who championed the electric guitar, to Count Basie, the first black man to win a Grammy, here are just seven of many little-known black artists we should remember this Black History Month and beyond.

Pioneering black musicians

1. Gladys Bentley

Blues singer Gladys Bentley came to prominence in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance. Like many great performers of the era, she flocked to the New York City neighborhood, which was quickly becoming a hub for numerous great black artists.

Bentley was a pioneering LGBT icon, often performing in a white tuxedo and top hat at Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a popular gay speakeasy, according to The Root. In 1931, she married a white woman in a civil ceremony, a groundbreaking move, cementing her place in LGBT history.

2. Dean Dixon

A Columbia University graduate, Dean Dixon was a dedicated classical performer. He made history in 1941 as the first African-American conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He had a global reach, conducting throughout the '50s and '60s in Italy, Denmark, France and Sweden.

3. Marian Anderson

Singer Marian Anderson had a universal appeal, singing "Russian folk songs, classic German and French arias as well as Negro Spirituals," according to PBS. In 1936, she became the first African-American artist invited to perform at the White House.

However, racial prejudice still divided the country. Anderson, at that point the third highest concert box office draw in the country, faced racist treatment during U.S. tours. Her manager tried to book a performance at D.C.'s Constitution Hall, but was refused by the venue's owners, the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The rejection sparked national attention and outrage, particularly from Eleanor Roosevelt, who then organized a concert for Anderson on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event established Anderson's legacy. Later in 1955, the singer broke another barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.

5. Mamie Smith

Though blues music was created by African-Americans, no black artist had been recorded singing a blues song until 1920. That changed with Mamie Smith.

The singer was invited to record the song "Crazy Blues" by songwriter Perry Bradford in 1920, after white blues singer Sophie Tucker fell ill, according to NPR. The song sold 75,000 recordings in a month, bulldozing a path for other black artists.

6. Sister Rosetta Tharpe

You don't get a nickname like "Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll" for nothing. If you enjoy the raucous tunes of an electric guitar, thank Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the pioneering gospel singer who developed a finger picking technique that shaped the sound of rock 'n' roll. Her fresh music deeply inspired Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others.

7. Miriam Makeba

Speaking of grandiose nicknames, let's move over to Miriam Makeba, who was quickly dubbed "Mama Africa." The South African native sprung to popular awareness in the 1960s, becoming the first African singer to be a household name, according to The Independent.

She put a spotlight on the vast sounds of the continent, singing songs like "The Click Song" in Xhosa, her father's first language. She won major crossover appeal after recording an album and winning a Grammy with American star Harry Belafonte in 1966.

A strong voice against apartheid, Makeba had her passport revoked by the South African government in the 1960s. She returned decades later, after Nelson Mandela became president.

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